EV Group Receives Multi-Million-Euro Order from STMicroelectronics

EV Group (EVG), a leading
supplier of wafer-bonding and lithography equipment for the advanced semiconductor
and packaging, MEMS, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and emerging nanotechnology
markets, today announced it has received a major multi-million-euro order from
STMicroelectronics for its 300-mm bonding, alignment and photoresist processing
tools. EVG's fully automated tools are successfully installed at ST's 300-mm
through-silicon-via (TSV) pilot line in Crolles,France and used in the manufacture
of CMOS imaging sensors (CIS).

Industry experts have anticipated that the first products that feature TSV
technology are expected to hit the market in 2008 and will include flash memory
and image sensors, similar to what ST is developing with the help of EVG's 300-mm
solutions. The production of these devices by a high-volume manufacturer (HVM)
like ST marks a significant validation milestone for this technology, which
is still in its infancy. TSV adoption, however, continues to rapidly gain traction,
given its demonstrated advantages that include higher performance, increased
functionality, a smaller footprint and lower power consumption. Recognizing
the potential early on, EVG has been a champion of bringing this technology
to market commercialization. Key to this effort, the company is a founding member
of the EMC-3D international consortium, which is chartered with developing the
3D market infrastructure by demonstrating a cost-effective, manufacturable,
stackable TSV interconnection technology.

According to Gareth Bignell, Program Manager, 300mm Equipment Selection, STMicroelectronics,
"ST is committed to accelerating the manufacturing of 3D TSV-based devices
into high volume. As such, we're turning to trusted suppliers, like EVG, who
can help us maintain our competitive edge by minimizing manufacturing risks,
while increasing the speed of implementation and time to market. At the same
time, we also expect nothing less than superior and comprehensive service and
support so that our facility can continue to run at benchmark levels -- we expect
that EVG's solid and dependable support will continue to be a significant help
in this area."

"We are extremely pleased with the confidence ST, a long-standing customer
of our 200-mm solutions, now also has in our leading-edge 300-mm portfolio,
which is ideally suited for the burgeoning, but complex, 3D-TSV market. Yet,
we believe TSV technology holds tremendous potential and we are poised and committed
to being a key player in this space," said EVG's Executive Technology Director,
Paul Lindner. "This milestone order from ST is testament to our ability
to meet this chipmaker's rigorous demands for reliable performance, uniformity
and repeatability -- backed, of course, by our unwavering 24/7 customer support,"
he added.

According to Lindner, a number of factors contributed to the company's recent
win with ST over the competition. Specifically, EVG's new NanoSpray photoresist
coating processing capabilities for steep topographies, along with its IQ Aligner's
proven ability to deliver precise and reliable lithography backside alignment,
are both unparalleled in the industry. This, coupled with EVG's bonder, demonstrated
high uniformity at 300mm -- and the company's comprehensive service and dedicated
onsite support were critical factors behind this most recent purchasing decision
by ST. EVG reports that the ST order also included its EVG150 Coater and EVG150
Developer, which in conjunction with its NanoSpray technology, consistently
deliver highly uniform coats with low material usage and improved repeatability.

EV Group will be exhibiting at SEMICON West, July 15-17, 2008 at the Moscone
Center inSan Francisco, Calif., USA. Editors and analysts interested in learning
more about the company and its complete product range for 3D interconnect and
TSV are invited to visit EVG's booth #5429 (North Hall).

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